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Earth 2 #15.1 - Desaad #1 review

Desaad's been featuring in Worlds' Finest for awhile, matching wits and weapons with Power Girl and Huntress. The Apokolips sadist stars in this Villains Month one-shot, all three characters are on the cover - so obviously, it's solicited as an Earth 2 tie-in, a great way to ensure the people most interested in the special may miss it, while a few of those who buy it expecting something relating to Green Lantern and co will be annoyed. Sure, it's linked to Earth 2, with Kara and Helena originating from there, but it has bugger all to do with James Robinson and Nicola Scott's book. Happily, as well as solicitations, I read both Earth 2 and World's Finest, but still, any complaints DC receives are on their own heads.

We start with the 3D cover, which doesn't work brilliantly, unless we're meant to believe that Desaad keeps his head about a foot behind the rest of his body, and Power Girl never stops vibrating. Sheesh. It's a shame, as Ken Lashley's composition is decent, and Jason Wright's colours are excellent - dig that Kirby Krackle.

You might expect those famous dots in a book starring a character created by legendary artist/writer Jack Kirby. What you won't expect is a cameo by Kirby himself, but here he is, as illustrated by Yildiray Cinar and coloured by Wright. Stranded on Earth after Darkseid's aborted invasion of Earth Prime, Desaad's spent five years making monsters as he plots to return home. Levitz shows us how Desaad becomes interested in humans, and eventually, fascinated by one man in particular - 'The Artist'. The unnamed guy is so wrapped up in his comic creation that he doesn't even notice Desaad boom tubing in behind him, doesn't see the outline of evil (click on image to enlarge).

We don't learn what Desaad wants of the man, but the mystery adds spice to what otherwise would have been simply a well-crafted expansion of things we've already seen in Worlds' Finest - Desaad being cruel, Desaad trying to steal Michael Holt's experimental tunnel between worlds, Desaad cackling ... now, I can't wait to see what's next.

Nul points to DC for ending this issue with a direction to the Earth 2 series - back next month after its Villains break - when it might have also mentioned Worlds's Finest, where the storyline here will actually play out.

I like Levitz's script, which paints Desaad as an insidious creature (and one surprisingly well versed in Jewish tradition). He's a little one-note, but he's a Kirby archetype, there to push stories forward with his evil scheming and fascination with fear.

It's a shame DC's New 52 revamp has done away with Kirby's classic design, but Cinar does wonders with the cliched monster he's been saddled with. Desaad slinks through panels, his death mask terrifying, his flowing robes and cowl acting as points of dynamism. He chooses a rougher line than in his super-shiny work on Legion of Super-Heroes - again with Levitz - and Wright further softens the look with his tones. Sometimes said colours are muted, at others it's fireworks a-go-go. The Kirby - sorry, 'Artist' - panels remind me of the great Gene Colan's shot-from-pencils' work on Nathaniel Dusk ... I'd love to see Cinar and Wright produce an entire comic in this style.

And while I may be imagining Easter eggs, Desaad's HQ might amuse Legion fans. C'mon Yildiray and Paul, you can't call that accidental!

As for the new origin, I'm not a fan of the Fourth World Saga, despite enjoying some of the characters so I'm not appalled by the new origin. If it's not better than the original one, though, why change it?

I did finally read both the Desaad and Darkseid specials. The Desaad story was pretty decent, although it did feel like it was going in circles. "I'm stuck on Earth, I want to get back to Apokolips, but I might as well torment some people until then." Five years later: "Darn it, I'm still here. Where's Darkseid with my ride? Oh, well, might as well pass the time with some more torture."

The Darkseid special, on the other hand... in the immortal words of Queen Victoria, we are not amused. Seriously, I read the first four pages, and it seemed to get off to a very strong start, delving into the Uxas' resentments and powerlessness that you could see would eventually drive him to become Darkseid. And then it just went downhill from there. I wrote up a review on my blog:

Seriously, DC totally dropped the ball. They had the opportunity to give us an intimate, in-depth look at the origins & motivations of one of their greatest villains, show us what makes him think, and it just fell flat. I was really disappointed in this one.

Well, DC's most recent redesigns of Kirby's characters go for the obvious. One doesn't think of Kirby and subtlety right off the bat, but the point of Desaad is that he's a cringing weasel who hides in the shadows and grovels before his betters. Re-reading Kirby's Fourth World as I am right now, I've noted that Darkseid was also a lot more under-stated than he's become. Which is to say, he isn't drawn as being nine feet tall, and he definitely doesn't get into fist fights with super-heroes. So it goes. Punchy punchy.

I sort of miss Kirby's old design, not for any brilliant artistic reason but rather for nostalgia. And I do agree that the new design does impart a better sense of movement on the page and a slinky, flowing kind of menace, but for some reason, this design sort of feels like the love child of Orko and the carebears villain.

The comic wasn't very good, no, but something about Worlds Finest just keeps hauling me back, perhaps in the vain hope that it will improve.Not impressed with any of these Villain Month one-offs, so this month I shall be spending about £75 instead of my usual £300 on comics - so providing there are no action figures to buy at least I shall save quite a few sheckles. Desaad really isn't that interesting but his continued presence both implied and forthright in WF does make for absorbing reading; this one-off was worth getting for the sly Legion aside alone.

Hmmm, I might actually pick up this issue, assuming it hasn't sold out by the time I make it to the comic shop again next week. I actually think the re-design of Desaad works well. I mean, yeah, the oily, creepy old guy look definitely suited him in the original Kirby stories and subsequent appearances, where he was really just a petty lackey to Darkseid who was much more interested in inflicting cruelty for its own sake than in actually conquering the universe, or something else productive like that.

The New 52 version of Desaad seems to be portrayed as more of a major player with bigger ambitions, so I think the leering skeletal face suits him. And, judging by the artwork scans that you posted, Yildiray Cinar seems to have done a great job giving the character some very sinister body language, making him this ominous looming presence.

Anyway, thanks for the write-up. With DC churning out so many darn books each month, it has been really easy for me to overlook ones I might be genuinely interested in. This blog has been really good at helping me discover some hidden gems.

Martin, great review as always. I am sitting out Villains Month for the reasons you give plus the fact that they made all the issues 3.99 without giving us more pages (trick covers do not count, this is not the 90's).

On a slightly related note, which legend do you prefer-Kirby or Ditko?

That's a toughie. Their strengths, while both incredible, are so different. On a purely visual basis, Kirby, but not pure Kirby - I like Sixties FF and Thor Kirby, inked by Sinnott and the much-maligned Vince Colletta ... I like the lines and the bombast, but with a side order of sleekness.

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